Many of us are initially reluctant to hire professional care for loved ones. Hiring carers can be expensive, and it’s not always easy to trust carers or hand over responsibility. However, there can be times when professional care is necessary. Below are just a few signs that you need to look into professional care for your loved one.
They’re not eating properly and are losing weight
If a loved one isn’t eating properly, this can be a real concern. Perhaps they’re no longer able to prepare meals due to mobility issues or memory loss, or perhaps they’re simply having trouble eating themselves. In either case, professional care could be useful for helping them to prepare meals and eat. Even if you are able to prepare meals for your loved one and help with eating, it may be worth hiring care if feeding becomes too difficult. Getting help could be particularly important if a loved one is developing health problems due to their poor diet such as weight loss or malnutrition.
There are problems administering their medication
If your loved one has been prescribed medication, it could be important that they are taking the right medication at the right times and in the right doses. If they are forgetting to take medication or not taking the right doses, and you cannot help them to take the right doses, hiring professional carers could be useful. In some cases, nurses may be needed to administer certain medication like drips.
Personal hygiene and clothing needs cannot be met
Is your loved one struggling to carry out basic personal hygiene tasks like having a shower, brushing their teeth or wiping themselves after using the toilet? Are they able to get dressed properly themselves? Once your loved one starts to struggle with these tasks, it could be important for them to get help. If you are unable to provide this help or would prefer not to have to do it, a carer could be worth hiring to help. Some people find that even hiring a carer for an hour in the morning and evening makes a difference.
Their home environment is unsuitable
Another time to consider professional care could be if your loved one’s home has become cluttered, dirty or in disrepair. It could be a sign that they need a professional carer to help clean it and organise. Alternatively, it could be time for them to move out and move into a care home. If your loved one would prefer to stay at home, temporary respite care could still be worthwhile so that a loved one’s home can be cleaned and decluttered.
The health of those offering voluntary care is being negatively affected
The health of the caregiver is as important as the health of the loved one receiving the care. Quite often, the stress of being a carer can take its toll on a person’s mental or physical health. It is important to realise when you are developing depression or starting to develop physical health problems that could interfere with your ability to provide care. You don’t want to end up being the one cared for – considering professional at-home care or a care home could be essential for giving you the break that you need.
